Excavator



ATEN OFFIC.

CHARLES A. MANN, JR., OF PIKE, NE\V YORK.

EXCAVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,966, dated May 27, 1856.

To all whom t may 00m/em Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MANN, Jr., ofthe town of Pike, in the county of Wyoming and State of New York, haveinvented and made certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forExcavating Earth, Snow, and for other Purposes; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machinecomplete. Fig. 2, is a side view of the mechanism employed to operatethe scoops or shovels.

Description-To enable others to construct my machine, I herewithdescribe the same as follows, viz.:

I employ a truck or platform mounted on truck wheels or other suitablewheels, as shown in Fig. l-a, a, a, a, the platform; Z1, o, the wheels.To the front of the truck I arrange a scraper a plow device c, c, c.rI`he front of the platform has a neck extension part (l d in order toleave a suitable space for the arrangement of the required mechanism. Oneach side of the truck are attached substantial standards as at e, e, e,e, e, e, e, Fig. 1, or of any suitable shape. In the upper end thereofare journal boxes or bores, into which work short journals or axles f f.Upon these axles is hung a framing, formed of two lateral rails or barsg, g, g'. g, of suitable lengt-h and dimensions. The backward ends ofthese rails are connected by a yoke-like connection, formed similar toshape shown in Fig. 1 at z, 72 7L, h.. This yoke connection is bolted orscrewed by its center onto a central cross tie z', z', to the ends ofwhich are bolted or screwed two central rails or bars j, j, j, j,arranged at suitable distances from each other and parallel with thebars g, g. The forward ends of the central rails are bent or curvedupward slightly as at K, and these rails are also hung by pivots oraxles, as at L, which pivots work in standards or uprights m. It must beobserved that this framing is hung or suspended at about one-third ofits length, and designed to admit of being elevated or depressed oradjustable up and down, as occasion may require, and also affording aleverage principle. Transversely or across from a-nd within or betweenthe rails or bars J, J,

J J, are arranged two driving wheels n, n, hung upon one common shaft o,0, to the extreme ends of which, outside of the uprights or standards m,is attached a crank arm P, having a winch g, to which may be attachedpitman or piston rods as occasion may require.

To the ends of the rails g, g, J, J, are journal boxes r, into whichwork t-he ends of axles s, s, s, s, to the inner ends of which arearranged master wheels t, t, t, t, working or meshing into the drivingwheels n, n. The cogs or teeth of these master wheels are cut obliquelyor at a suitable angle, and the axles s, s, of these wheels are set orarranged to incline at a suitable angle outward from the center of themachine instead of arranged to work horizontally. Attached to theseinclined axles s, s, are short cylindrical chambers u, u, u, u, and atproper or required intervals upon the periphery thereof are four (ormore) arms o o v U o o o a of suitable length, inserted into openings orholes in the rim or periphery, and their ends extending into theinterior of the cylinder or chamber and entering a. core or center hubformation w, Fig. 2, which core or hub is formed solid. these arms areattached scoops or shovels of any desired form of construction, similarto m m :c x :c Around the arms are arranged collars y y y gf; y y y y,with finger like projections or extensions a e a e a z a a a, to whichare attached friction disks & & & & & & & & &. These collars y areattached to the scoop arms e, o, by set screws 1, 2, 3, 4, Figs. 1, 2,so as to admit of any required adjustability up and down, right or left.

To the outward ends ofv Around the part of the arms, within theMcylinder chambers, are coiled or spiral springs 5, 6, 7, S, Fig. 2, theends of which are confined respectively to the arms and the face of thecore or hub, as shown in Fig. 2. To the cylinder chamber, on theperiphery thereof, are inserted check pins or stops 9, Figs. 1, 10, 11,2, and corresponding pins are inserted in the arms as at 12, 13, 14, 15,Figs. 1, 2. To the front ends of the lateral rails or bars g, g arearranged bowed pla-tes. 16, 17, 18, 19, one end of which is bolted orscrewed on to the outside, and the other end screwed or bolted on to theinside of the rails g, g, so as to be obliquely across the rails, g, g.These bowed plates 1G, 17, 18, 19 are so formed that they shall presentthe scoops or shovels.

broad oblique surfaces or sides inwardly of the framing to answer thepurpose of an oblique cam.

The operation of my excavating machine is as follows, viz: If to be usedin clearing the tracks of railroads, the machine is to be arranged oncar wheels and attached in front of a locomotive engine, in such amanner, as t0 admit of communicating or transmitting the power thereofthrough connection rods or other suitable appliances attached to thecrank arm l?. Or the whole machine may be constructed with a suit-ableengine power, to set in motion the machine upon the track, and tocommunicate power to the driving wheels n a, which revolve the masterwheels t, t, t, t, which revolving toward the back part of the truck setthe arms and scoops in motion, and as they move around the frictiondisks & & & & & roll upon the bowed plates or oblique cams 1G, 17, 18,19, and as the arms are carried around, owing to the oblique surface ofthe plates 16, 17 18, 19, the disks & & thereby are caused to turn orchange the position of For instance, the shovels that first operate uponthe obstacle to be removed are presented squarely or broadly thereto,scoop or shovel up, to their capacity, and in passing upward and over,the cam plates 16, 17, 18, 19, acting on the frictionV` disks & & & &tilt or deflect the scoops when they arrive at a required point, andthereby empty or relieve themselves by throwing out and depositing theirsupply over the sides of the machine, as it advances along. The scoopsor shovels may be made to tilt more or less by so arranging the cams orbowed plates 16, 17, 18, 19, as to bring about the desired result. Itmay be remarked that the scoops or shovels can be attached to the endsof the arms, so as to be more or less dished, in order to take up agreater or less amount of matter. The arms may also be constructed so asto be lengthened or shortened according to requirements. As the framingg g g g J J J J z' z' works on the joint axles L, the whole mechanism isadjustable, or can be graduated up and down, to suitany counteractingpressure or resistance. It is necessary to state that as the arms turnor work around and as the scoops or shovels tilt it is requisite tobring them again to their original position, which is brought aboutthrough the intervention of the spiral springs 5, 6, 7, 8, incasedwithin the cylinder chamber, u, Fig. 2.

In attaching the scoops or shovels to the arms it will be seen that theyare not attached immediately in the middle of their lengt-hs, butinstead are attached at about one third of their length, and the excessof the length extending inwardly toward the center of the machine. Nowas the scoops or shovels are not attached at their middles, the excessof weight and pressure will be against the excess of extent of theshovels, and in order to counteract any undue resistance or strain andtendency to yield and turn or tilt around any suitable check or stopdevice may be used, but it must be so 'arranged as not to interfere withor counteract the action of the friction disks and cams.

My excavating machine may be employed 'with a slight. modification orarrangement so as to be alike applicable to the excavating and removingof loose earth and for dredging purposes, as well also for excavatingsnow and removing itfrom the tracks of railroads.

Having given as clear and exact description as is considered requisiteto enable others to construct and operate my improvements, what I claimas new and original with myself and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States is as follows, viz:

1. I claim the construction and arrangement of the cylindrical chambersu u, formed with the inserted semi-rotating arms o, o, fa, Qi, o, thescoops, as, m, w, ai, the fingers and friction disks y, a, &, with thecombination therewith of the springs 5, 6, 7, 8, Fig. 2, the wholeoperated through the obliquely arranged wheels't t t t, in combinationwith the bowed cam plates 16, 17, 18, 19, Fig. 1, substantially asdescribed.

2. l also claim the arrangement of said devices in combination with theadjustable, or graduating framing g, g, J, J, and the plow attachment c,c, c, specifically as set forth.

CHARLES A. MANN, JR. [In 5.]

Witnesses: Y

JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD, WVM, CARMACK, J r,

